Security Stories - Story: 4 - Luke Stephens

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SecurityStories - 52 Weeks, 52 Stories: Story - 4 ~ Don't lose your creativity. As soon as people get a cybersecurity job, they lose their curiosity and creativity. Featuring Luke Stephens widely known as @hakluke who needs no introductions. Let's know his story. 🧵

Question: Could you briefly introduce yourself? Luke: I'm Luke Stephens. I go by hakluke online. I'm a computer hacker and indie founder.

I'm a pentester and bug bounty hunter, but these days I spend most of my time running my businesses, Haksec.io (a pentesting consultancy) and HackerContent.com (a marketing agency for cybersecurity businesses)

Question: How did you get started in Cyber Security? Luke: I started hacking at a very young age - I can't really remember precisely what drew me to it, but I know that the movie "The Matrix" had a significant part to play.

Question: What were the initial challenges and blockers you faced? Luke: When I learned to hack, minimal resources were available on the internet. Today we are spoiled for choice!

Question: What is the learning methodology you followed or still follow? Luke: ❌ Learn, learn, learn, learn, do. ✅ Learn, do, learn, do, learn, do.

I only really learn things if I need to know them for the project that I'm currently on. That way, my learning always has a purpose and a goal. I rarely sit down and watch tutorials about something because I might need it at some point in future.

Question: What all certifications do you hold, & what certificates would you recommend to the readers? Luke: I have a Bachelor of Music and OSCP. I would recommend something other than the Bachelor of Music. It hasn't advanced my career in cybersecurity. It was fun, though

Question: What is your favourite thing to hack on? Luke: I love to hack on web applications. Question: What does your tool arsenal look like - Could you share some?

Luke: A lot of my tools are ones I have written myself. I open source most of them on my GitHub, github.com/hakluke. Other than that, I use Burp Suite and a bunch of tools from ProjectDiscovery. Question: How do you cope with Burn Outs?

Luke: I stop doing whatever is burning me out. I also review the basics: Am I sleeping enough? Am I eating good food? Am I exercising? Am I giving myself time to relax? Question: What would you advise the newcomers in Cyber Security?

Luke: Don't lose your creativity. As soon as people get a cybersecurity job, they lose their curiosity and creativity. Try to keep your fire burning. Question: How do you keep up with the latest trends in Cyber Security - Could you share your go-to resources?

Luke: Mostly Twitter, but I also sign up for several good newsletters. Namely Securibee's "Hive Five Newsletter" and Daniel Meissler's newsletter. Question: What's your life outside hacking? Luke: When I am not hacking, I mostly enjoy hanging out with my family.

Social Profiles - Twitter: twitter.com/hakluke - Web: hakluke.com - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hakluke/ - Newsletter: getrevue.co/profile/hakluke - YouTube: youtube.com/hakluke - TikTok: tiktok.com/@hakluke - Insta: instagram.com/hakluke_

- Discord: hakluke#1337 - Mastodon: infosec.exchange/@hakluke

> Did you find Luke's story interesting and inspiring? Please share it with your friends and colleagues to spread the word. > We will be coming up with more exciting and inspiring stories Weekly. Follow Me on [Twitter](twitter.com/harshbothra_)

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: typefully.com/harshbothra_/2ftfXJe